Tool.



0. Z. COUTANT.

TOOL. ...a

APPLICATION PILED JUNE 30,193.

1,089,1 12. Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

v V I J y I I I I //////////////////////////t 'UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR Z. OUTANT, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

TOOL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAB Z. COUTANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Smringfield, in the County of Sanganon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvemcnts in tools, and relates particularly to a hand tool for farm use, especially in the 'ere'ction of farm fences, stringing plain and barb WlI'eS, and for similar uses.

The invention has for a further object to provide an inexpensive but thoroughly eflicient tool for use in the driving of staples, when erecting farm and other fences, plain and barb wire, and includes a member with which a stringer wire or cable may be positioned and held against a post or other part to which it is desired to staple the wire or wires, said member being arranged to receive and guide the staple to its securing position, and means within said member adapted-to be operated upon by a tool in the hand of the operator for driving said staple.

The invention h`as for a further object to materially improve tools of the character hei-ein described and claimed, that they may be constructed at a minimum cost, and embody features of Construction therein which will make them practically indestructible,

and so convenient to handle, that a boy may F igure 1 is a View of my improved tool showing the manner of its use when driving a staple to attach a wire to a post; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the tool, as the same would appear, if taken on the line 2-2 Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of the forward end of the tool looking at the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional detail of the rear end of the tool, as the same would appear if taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2; Fig'. 5 is a perspective view of a ratchetpawl, its releasing button and associated spring; Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a. barrel and closure for the rear end of the Specification ot Letters Patent.

Application filed June 30, 1913.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

Serial No. 776509.

tool, and Fig. 7 is a detail perspective of the rear end of the tool.

Like characters of reference denote correspondng parts throughout the figures.

1 denotes the barrel and also the' handle portion of the tool. This barrel is substantally tubular in cross-section for the greater portion of its length, with the open rear end 2, and its forward end for a porton of its length is flattened as at 3, so as to have a substantially rectangular shape n cross-section with an inner channel or passageway 4, opening out of the forward end of the tool and also communicating with the chamber in the tubular position of the tool. The forward end of the tool is provided with a concave recess 5, whereby the end of the tool may be caused to straddle the wire or cable to be fastened and for holding such wire or cable in position during the operation of driving and securing the staple.

In one wall of the portion 3, is an opening 6, communicating with the channel or passageway 4. Through this opening staples are inserted into the tool, and into a position to be driven, in a nanner to be explained. The inner face of the forward portion of the tool adjacent the forward edge of the opening 6 is beveled inwardly and forwardly, as at 7, and said inner face is also recessed, as at 8, forming a seat to receive a plate spring 9, which is seeured to the outside flat face of the portion 3 of the tool, see Figs. 2 and 3 and then bent over the forward edge of the opening 6, and the free end portion of said plate spring following the bevel wall 7 and projecting forwardly of the tool and passing obliquely across the channel or passageway 4, see Fig. 2. The face of the portion 3 of the tool adjacent the inner wall or edge of the opening 3 is beveled or inclined inwardly and forwardly, as'at 7 the inclination 7 of said wall, being such, that a staple laid thereon with its pointed ends extending forwardly, and said staple being forced along said incline will enter the tool through the opening 6 and lie in the channel or passageway 4, with the spring plate 9 hearing against said staple and holding it preliminarily to the staple driving operation.

At the rear or open end 2 of the tool, l

the wall of said tool is provided With the diametrically disposed slots or grooves 10 and 11. The slot or groove 10 extends longitudinally of and completely through the wall of the tool and opens out of its rear end, see Fig. 7, and the slot or groove 11, which is much shorter than the slot or groove 10, while it opens out of the rear end of the tool extends only part way through the wall thereof. Said tool at its rear end is provided with the inner annular flange or shoulder 12, broken at the slots or rooves 10 and 11', see F ig. 7

n Fig. 6 is shown a perspective view of a two part cylindrical member, which for convenience I will hereafter refer to as the inner barrel 13, the same composed of semi-circular sections 14 and 15, each section having a flanged head 16 hearing against the end of the tool, in manner seen in Figs. 2 and 4. The sections 14 and 15 are similar in construction and along one of their meeting edges they are spaced apart by forming an off-set 17 and extending the matching faces of the sections straight back to a point near the head 16 where semi circular recesses 18 are provided for a purpose to be explained. At a point approxinately midway of the sections 14 and 15, bearing seats 19 are provided and between said seats 19 and said semi-circular recesses 18, and near said last mentioned recesses, other hearing seats 20 are provided. Said sections 14 and 15 on their convex faces and at a point approximately midway of the meeting edges of the opposite sections, are provided with lugs 21.

The ratchet pawl referred to, best seen in Fig. 5, has the engagng end 22, the trun nions or lugs 23, which :are adapted to be seated in the bearing recesses 19 and on which the ratchet pawl may be oscillated, and said ratchet-pawl has the button 24, which, when the ratchet-pawl is in assembled relation on the inner barrel will be coincident with the recesses 18 and movable in the space provided between said semi-circular recesses'lS, see Fig. 4. A spring 25 which bears c rosswise of and in a recess' 26 in the pawl, has arms which extend rearwardly and longitudinally of the pawl, lying beneath the trunnions 23, and the rear ends of the arms of the spring are bent at right angles, as at 26 which are adapted to rest in the hearing recesses 20, see Fig. 2.

The plunger for driving the staple, is indicated 27, and includes the round body portion 28ihaving a head 29 and said body portion, at a suitable point tapers to the flat driving end 30. At a point Where the plunger tapers off from the round body to a flat body, the same has a flange 31, and the driving end of the plunger has a concave seat 32, see Fig. 1, to receive the arcuate end of the staple when the plunger 27 is moved forward to engage and drive the staple.

To assemble the tool, a coil spring 33 is first inserted into the barrel of the tool through the opening 2 in the rear end thereof. The inner barrel 13, conprising the two sections 14 and 15 are closed about the round body portion of the plunger 27, with the ratchet-pawl occupying the space between the spaced matching faces of said sections of the inner barrel, the trunnions 23 on the pawl seated in the hearing recesses 19 and the end portions 26 of the spring 25 seated in the hearing recesses 20. The plunger 27 is then inserted into the barrel of the tool and through the spring 33 until the flange 31 on the plunger engages and bears against said spring 33. To insert the inner barrel 13 into the tool, with. the plunger, the lugs 21 on the sections of the "inner barrel are caused to coincide with and pass through the slots 10 and 11 in the end of the tool, which are provided for this purpose. As soon as said lugs pass beyond the inner wall of the annular flange 12 the inner barrel is revolved in the tool until the head or lug 24 on the pawl is coincident with the slot 10, when a push-button nut 34, is screwed into the head or lug 24, bymeans of which the operator may actuate the pawl.

The lugs 21 not only bear against the inner face of the flange 12, to prevent longitudinal movement, but said lugs also bear against the inner wall of the tool and re tain the two sections 14 and 15 in assembled relation in the tool.

The plunger is shown provided with ratchet teeth 35, so positioned on the plunger that, as the plunger is driven forward in the tool to engage and drive the staple, the end 22 of the pawl will ride over the teeth 35, and between each blow or stroke, the paw will lock the plunger in position, compressing the spring 33. To release the pawl, the operator presses on the button 34, lifting the end 22 from engagement with the teeth on the plunger, when the spring 33 will move the plunger back to its normal position ready for another operation. The head 29 on the plunger may or may not be integral with the plunger, and a hammer or other suitable tool may be used to drive the plunger by engagement with the head of said plunger.

When the staple has been inserted into the tool, it remains held in driving position by the spring 9. hen the plunger 27 is driven forward, it engages and carries the staple forward and across the wire to be fastened, the spring 9 being forced into the recess 8 and so held until the plunger moves back, when the spring 9 is released.

The tool has a prong 36 which may or may not be a part of the barrel of the tool. In this instance it is made a separate part the prong of like character on the ordinary hammer.

What I claim is z 1'. -In a tool of the character described, a-

member forming a hand-hold and being tubular for the greater portion of its length,

its forward or Operating end being substantiallyrectangular in cross-section and having a narrow passage-way therethrough, one wall of said rectangular portion having a square opening therein communicating with the passage-way therethrough, the face of said rectangular portion adjacent the rear edge of said opening being tapered toward the opening to facilitate guiding staples into said opening, a spring plate secured to the outside face of said rectangular portion and bent over the forward edge of said opening and passing into said member through said opening and extending obliquely across the passageway the rein to yieldingly hold a staple in operative position, and a plunger in the member for driving the staple out of the member.

2. In a tool of the character described, a member forming a hand-hold and being tubular for the greater portion of its length, its forward Operating end being substantially rectangular in cross-section and having a narrow passage-way therethrough, one wall of said rectangular portion having a square opening for the insertion of staples into said member, a plate spring in said passage-way at the forward edge of said opening to hold the staples when inserted, in operative position, the end of the tubular portion of said member being slotted for a portion of its length, a plunger in the member for driving the staple, an inner barrel for the tubular portion of the member, said barrel comprising semi-circular sections through which the plunger operates, said plunger having ratchet teeth arranged thereon, a ratchet pawl suitably journaled on the sections of the inner barrel and adapted to engage with the teeth on the plunger, a spring for forcing the pawl into engaging relation with the teeth on the plunger, and a pushbutton o-n said pawl, said button protruding through the slot in the wall of said tubular portion, in position for engagement by an operator.

3. In a tool of the character described, a member forming a hand-hold, one end being tubular and provided with an inner annular shoulder, and with diametrical arranged grooves, one of which passes t rough the wall of said member, an inner barrel, said barrel including semi-circular sections, each provided with corresponding lugs, said lugs, when said barrel is inserted into said member, being inserted through said grooves end of which is tubular, an inner barrel for said member, said barrel including semi-circular sections, the matching edges of said sections 'on one side being spaced apart and formed with bearing recesses, a ratchet pawl having trunnions arranged to have a hearing relation with certain of said recesses, a wire spring having a portion crossing the pawl and lying under said trunnions with ends' having a hearing relation with other of said recesses, a push-button on said pawl for oscillating the same on said barrel, and'a plunger passing through said barrel, said plunger having ratchet teeth so positioned that they may be engaged by said pawl.

5. In a tool' of the character described, a member forming a hand-hold, one end being tubular and provided with an inner annular shoulder, and with diametrically arranged grooves, one of which passes throguh the wall of said' member, an inner barrel, said barrel including semi-circular sections, each provided with corresponding lugs, said lugs, when said barrel is inserted into said member, being inserted through said grooves and being seated in the member against the inner edge of said annular shoulder and hearing against the inner wall of the member to retain the inner barrel in operative position, a plunger in the member passing through the inner barrel and having ratchet teeth arranged thereon, a spring encircling said plunger and having a hearing against a part thereof and against said member, said semicircular sections having their matching edges on one side spaced apart and formed with corresponding hearing recesses, a ratchet pawl positioned in said space and having trunnions arranged to have a hearing relation with certain of said recesses, said' pawl being arranged to engage said ratchet teeth,

and a push button on said pawl protruding through the slot in the wallof said member.

6. In a tool of the character described, a member forming a hand-hold, one end being tubular and provided with an inner annular shoulder, and With diametrically arranged grooves, one of which passes through the wall of said member, an inner barrel, said barrel including semi-circular sections, each provided with corresponding lugs, said lugs, When said barrel is inserted into said member, being inserted through said grooves and being seated in the member against the inner edge of said annular shoulder and hearing against 'the inner wall of saidnember to retain the inner barrel in operative position, a plunger in the member passing through the inner barrel and having ratchet teeth arranged thereon, a spring encircling said plunger and having a hearing against a part thereof and against said member; said semi-circular sections having their matching edges on one side spaced apart and fol-med with corresponding hearing recesses, a ratchet -paw1 positioned in said space and having trunnions arranged to have a hearing relation with certain of said recesses, a wire spring having a portion en- 15 a push button on said {iawl protruding 20 through the slot in the wal of said member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my sgnature, in presence of two witnesses.

OSCAR Z. COUTANT.

Witnesses Morrz E. BERG, MILDRED F. BOMAN. 

